Arctic Wolf
by Snake Eyes Hinton
Summary: Raised from birth to be a killer, Arctic Wolf is taken in by the Joes to stop destroying the peace in... Well, everywhere. But her childlike curiosity and mature killer sides make it impossible to know who is really her and who isn't. "I'm not the same girl, Rider. I've changed a little bit. Now, how about this time you burn in Hell?" HAITUS
1. Chapter 1

There is a single picture surrounding those at the briefing in Joe HQ. One girl, her steel eyes nearly concealed by the sunglasses in hand with dark hair down to her waist in a ponytail, is there with a guitar case in hand. Duke puts down her file. "She is a nuisance to every government on either side of the world. She goes by Arctic Wolf, but has many aliases. It'll be impossible to find her real name."

"What has she done?" Jinx asks. "I don't see her to be the type to be violent. Maybe she's just a sniper."

Duke shakes his head, Jaye speaks. "That's where you're wrong, Jinx. Arctic Wolf is responsible for over a thousand deaths. Her earliest confirmed death is from when she was, and this is speculation, around thirteen years old. Her earlier kills are a bit gruesome, but she's made it into an art." She goes through a few pictures in a envelope, most likely her confirmed kills. She pulls one out a man with a slit throat, the confirmed murder weapon next the body. "It's been sawed to look like shark teeth, but it's a straight cut. It looks like a line drawn on paper in red ink.

Roadblock takes the picture in hand. "If killing was a super power, she'd definitely have it." He looks at the crest on the blade, examining it closely and with a look of intensity. He doesn't see Storm Shadow doing the same on a bit more gruesome cut. "It looks almost like the Arashikage symbol." Snake Eyes takes the photograph from him, looking at it intently.

"It can't be," Jinx says, seeing it with a concerned look. "We killed them a long time ago, didn't we?"

"Evidently not," Storm Shadow replies, throwing it on the table. "This is the responsibility of our family."

"Funny, because you have to bring her in alive," Duke says, bringing out the order from the President. "I'm not going to hide this from you. These are the exact words of the President and what he wants us to do with her. She is to be brought in alive and treated well. We will not and can not bring in her friends- names unknown, but main aliases are. Hothead, Headshot, and Cutter. I'd advise staying away from them."

"They're murderers," Flint says, looking up from it. "What could we do with them?"

"They're more than murderers," Storm Shadow says. "Arctic Wolf comes from a clan known for their skills in assassination. Their name has been lost in time, but apparently their methods have not. These are the kind of people who you only make one of for a reason. A very good reason. We were told stories of some who could take down small armies."

Flint swallows. "How true is that?"

"It is a great probability I'm not willing to bet on." Storm Shadow stands in front of her picture. "She has truly become the greatest though. I have seen very few who could go so long without having some photograph taken of them." Her steel colored eyes cut into his. "She will be dangerous, there's no mistake on that. She has been trained to be lethal."

"So who should we send?" Duke asks. Everyone glances at him in surprise. "Storm Shadow knows more about her than we do. He knows how to approach this. Hopefully."

A smile curves Storm Shadow's lips. "Of course I have a plan."


	2. Chapter 2

Steel colored eyes narrow in concentration, raven black hair pushed back from her face. She breathes in deep, lining her shot perfectly. If she misses, everything could mess up here. Not that there's much to mess up. Shoot this bastard, leave a lot of people screaming, and then get out without being seen. It's a normal job for her as an assassin who all but abandoned her duties as a soldier who bends to whim of her superiors.

She pulls the trigger, and the glass shatters. It takes a minute for everyone to completely understand what happened, but when they do, all that's heard is screaming and shouts and yells for help. She watches as someone goes to the body, shaking visibly through her scope. She smiles. "Must be Mrs. Jackson." She stands up, a whole four buildings away and higher up than the building she shot into.

She gets a call. "Is it done?" The voice is heavy with some type of mod over it. She knows better than to ask, though the curiosity eats at her inside.

"Of course. You said you wanted it done by noon." She climbs down the stairs quickly, her sniper put away in a guitar case. She comes out on the bottom steps, going against the crowd as they rush to the scene. "I got it done by noon. Maybe a few seconds later, but regardless, it is done. I expect my payment in the mail by tomorrow." She hangs up.

Arctic Wolf is an open target for any and all assassins and mercs out there. She has a home in every country, but every government knows better than to mess with her. The U.S. lets her do what she pleases short of mass murder; Canada lets her kill who she pleases as long as they aren't innocent; Ireland tries to arrest her every chance they get. It all depends on where she is, and she knows it to be a fact of her life. Something that comes with the killing and money.

So she isn't too surprised to come home to find three people lounging on her couch. They're friendly though, and familiar. Not her favorite people, but people she knows all the while. "I didn't know we were having a deadly meeting at my house. I specifically remember the last one being here and having a ton to clean up, so if we could reschedule this for another time."

"You're under a lot of heat, Wolf," says one of them, a pretty blonde lady who's famous for her cutting techniques. Her nickname is the Cutter, so it makes a bit of sense. Cutter is the one Wolf like the most, though she'll never admit it. "You're being targeted by some pretty big people, my friend. Which is getting us targeted too. A bit of a pain if you ask me, my friend."

"Friend?" she asks, incredulous. She makes her way to her kitchen, grabbing the milk and Hershey chocolate syrup. A glass comes down from the cabinet, and there's a male next to her. Headshot has always been a bit intimidating as a big, broad man. He can hit hard, but his best bet is with a gun. "I was unaware any of us were close enough to be 'friends' around here, right, Headshot?"

A gathered fact is a simple one to any of them. He doesn't talk. He can make anyone uncomfortable just by staring, and it's enough to unnerve anyone to the point of cracking. Wolf avoids him when she's in particularly dark places. But his sidekick, Hothead, does all the talking for him. "You wound us, Wolf. I thought we were getting along!"

"If getting along includes you having a key to my house and being able to come in here without permission, then sure," Wolf says dryly. "I won't even bother asking how you got a key." She pours the milk into the glass and stirs in some Hershey syrup. Sipping her chocolate milk, she turns and looks at the three of them. She waits for them to speak before she offends anyone and gets in a fight.

Cutter stands up and stretches in her catlike way. Wolf just takes another sip. "Wolf, you can be a real pain in the ass. You're attracting attention, and you're the only one who openly gives out her address. I mean, we have an address for our clients, but you actually live at yours." Cutter is the kind of girl who wants anonymity between all of them and the world. "Basically, we're getting targeted by some pretty high figures."

"And by 'pretty high,'" Hothead adds. "She means people even I can't track." Wolf's brow raises in surprise. Hothead is short tempered, and his temper makes him work harder when he's frustrated. Being the techie of the group, he's the only one who could be able to track anyone in any and every way possible. If he can't do it, Wolf doubts anybody in the world can.

"All because of your ten kills this week, all open and untraceable," Cutter says, glaring at Hotshot. She doesn't like to be in the center of attention without knowing what or who exactly is coming her way. Wolf has learned this over time since Cutter is sometimes hard to read and understand correctly. She's a bit of an odd ball for sure. "I don't care if the client wants panic anymore, Wolf. You better start doing your job and leaving nothing left behind."

"I didn't think you were this dim, Cutter," Wolf says, setting the empty glass down. "Do you hear what you're saying? All of them are untraceable. Sure, we can't trace this guy, but I'm not some newbie, Cutter, and I'm not as amateur as you. Honestly, when was the last time you had ten kills by Wednesday?" Cutter is looking coolly at her, but her fists are clenched at her side. "If it were easy, I'd say they know who's hiring me out. If it were easy, I'd have reason to believe maybe they were the ones hiring me. But I'm putting more money on them knowing the targets."

Headshot puts a calming hand on Cutter's arm. He glares at Wolf, but she shrugs off the feeling of his glare. It's Hothead who gets mad next. "Are you kidding, Headshot? A glare isn't going to simply make her stop. She's right, she isn't an amateur or a newbie. But she isn't a big girl either. If she were a big girl, she'd know who she's working for and be able to trace them." Wolf scoffs.

"Hothead, I'm sorry, but your logic is flawed. I have a certain code I was taught when I became an assassin. I can trace them, but from the way you were talking earlier, I'll have to be on the phone while I'm tracing them." Wolf goes into her pantry and comes back with a thing of icing, opening it up and grabbing a spoon. "I'm sorry if growing up the way I did is alarming to you."

"Alarming-" Hothead holds himself back, and Wolf smiles her odd little smile.

"Hothead, you can't even hold back your emotions properly in front of us. Don't say you've come to care about us, dear." Her head moves just a fraction of an inch, a senbon needle barely missing her. "You should have gone for my eye, Hothead. You know that." Seeing her next move, Wolf catches the next needle coming for her left eye. Her smile turns predatory, a scary thing on her.

"Hothead, stop. This isn't going to solve anything," Cutter says. "She's right, anyway. Have a bit more respect for yourself." Hothead turns a seething glare on Cutter, who meets his gaze with a level look of disinterest. Cutter turns back to Wolf. "Find out who's been watching your every move and get them off our tracks. Or there will be problems. Do you like problems, Wolf?"

Arctic Wolf allows her smile to die, taking on her own level expression of half amusement. "What kind of problems, Cutter? I like certain kinds of problems. I like problems where I get to spill blood. Don't you? Speaking of spilling blood..." The senbon needle flies and someone makes a surprised kind of noise. Wolf skips over to the shadow. "Hello, Jinx."

"How do you know me?" she asks, and Wolf only smiles in return. The ravenette grabs her and drags her into her living room, throwing her on the ground and pulling a sharp pocketknife from her table and holding it against Jinx's throat. Wolf hums, low and quiet and so creepily it sends shudders down her companions' backs. It strikes fear into Jinx's heart.

For some odd reason, Wolf's name flits through her mind. Arctic for her cold nature, and wolf for her hunting abilities. She can find a blonde with green eyes in a field of blonde with blue eyes, all of them wearing sunglasses. She had to do it before. That day had been particularly fun. "Little ninja, little ninja, you're still fairly new. Cutter, don't you want the honors of killing her? I'm sure a girl like her can bring you more trafficking. Even if you don't kill her, I do believe her body type is similar to the one you've been looking for."

Cutter turns, a type of glee entering her face. Her beautiful blue eyes alight, and her blonde hair is pushed from her face, giving her a new kind of sexy look. Wolf hands over the knife, and Cutter drags her into her own corner, waiting for the signal. When in Arctic Wolf's home, one can never be too careful. But she does drag the knife over her arm, lapping at the hiss that passes Jinx's lips. "You should come out, Arashikage ninjas. I don't take kindly to intruders." She takes out another knife, jamming behind her bathroom door.

"You're fast," she comments, praising him. She hums, moving around her apartment until she can see or hear one of them again. Her steps are light, and the humming helps her focus. She can almost hear Jinx's blood rushing if she tries hard enough, struggling against Cutter. She twirls around, the knife in hand. Someone drops down behind her, and she dodges the swing of his katana, ducking under it. "Hehe!"

He turns around, facing her as she stabs the knife forward. He catches it just barely. "Hello, Snake Eyes. Hothead, I'd be watching my back if I were you." She smiles a frightful smile, her words right on point as Hothead goes at Storm Shadow with his shock device. It's like a taser, but it isn't the same thing. Tasers don't hurt as much. Wolf jerks her leg forward, and Snake Eyes bends over as she lets him fall.

"Wait!" Jinx calls. "We aren't here to fight."

Wolf turns her steel eyes on Jinx, Headshot holding Snake Eyes in one place. "You might not be here to fight, but I am. Did you really think you could sniff out the wolf?" She goes to Jinx. "You're most likely to crack. Don't worry, Cutter. I'll leave you something of her." Arctic Wolf holds Jinx up by her throat. "Who sent you?"

Jinx doesn't have the time to answer before something is held to Wolf's mouth, and she's forced to breathe in a chemical, her eyes getting heavier and heavier until she's out completely. Wolf feels stupid. She should've seen it coming.


	3. Chapter 3

Arctic Wolf slips into consciousness like you slip into your favorite shirt. A habit from years of living in the way she has. She isn't sure how it started, but it did somehow, and it became the only way she knew how to wake up. If she wasn't waking up in her favorite t-shirt, she held a gun to your head, waking up like a grenade explodes- all at once.

So she keeps her eyes closed as soon as she hears voices, because she knows better. "-kill her and be done with it." The voice is accented, and she recognizes it almost immediately. Storm Shadow, trained by the Hard Master before the master was killed. "She is a threat and a danger to us all."

"We can't kill her," says another, a male voice. She thinks through the memorized voice patterns, skipping over ones she doesn't identify with this. Then she finds it. Duke. "The President wants her alive. I told you that." Wolf ignores the smile trying to form on her lips. So if they can't kill her, then they have to do something with her. Something might give her what she wants or needs to get out.

Or keep her locked up for eternity.

Before they can continue speaking, Wolf remembers something ingrained in her soul. When you're a prisoner and you've awoken, you show you're awake after they've revealed the first bit of useful information. That counts in her eyes. So she opens them, staring at the ceiling for a moment as one of them takes breath to speak. "You shouldn't speak so freely around a prisoner, you know."

She turns her head, sitting up carefully to gauge her body for any damage. Nothing. Which surprises her, and it must show on her expression, for Jinx says in a rather pouty voice, "We haven't harmed you. Yet." Wolf makes a show of grinning. Jinx swallows slightly, and it only makes Wolf even more satisfied. Snake Eyes steps between the predatory gaze and its prey. It dies down, and she glares at Snake Eyes.

"Big ninjas are no fun," she says, a grin spreading again as she thinks of how to get under Snake Eyes's skin in a way few have before. "You're all tough and hard to crack. I prefer the little ninjas. It's fun to watch them squirm as they beg not to-."

"Why is she alive again?" Lady Jaye asks, the only other person other than the pilot. Wolf turns her gaze on her.

"I must say, soldier girls are my favorite to crack," Wolf says, continuing to get under their nails. "They claim to be loyal first, not to say anything. But they always break when the pain gets to be too much! Except I'm not as merciful. I was taught you have to go the extra mile to make sure you got every... last... drop." Her eyes meet Jaye's as the brunette swallows nervously. "And I don't mean the information." Her face pales, and Duke stands up.

He goes to Wolf, and she knows he wouldn't do this if she wasn't in chains. But they won't stop her if she decides to kill him. "Stop threatening my team, Arctic Wolf. I know the kind of person you are, and I don't like you already. If you're going to be on my team, then you have a lot to learn. Starting with respect and when to open that mouth."

She jerks forward, and he flinches. She smirks, looking more dangerous than with the grin. "I'm in chains, and you fear me. Imagine when I'm out of them just how... thankful I'll be." She leans forward. "I'm a dangerous bitch. You recognize that much, Duke. So does Lady Jaye. So does Jinx. So does Storm Shadow. And so does Snake Eyes."

"I didn't take you to one to call herself a bad bitch," is all he says in return.

"My adjective was dangerous, thank you." She leans back, staring at the floor, kicking her feet, and humming to herself. Normally, it would look odd for a woman her age, but her oddly long hair and steel colored eyes somehow made her seem like a little girl. She was small too, so it only added to the picture. Her head eventually cocks to the side. "We're almost at our destination."

"How do you know?" Duke asks.

"Because we are losing altitude," she answers simply. "I can tell by the way the plan is angled. We're going down, which is to descend, so I'd like to assume we're upon arrival." She looks up at him with a curious look. "Couldn't you tell?" He shakes his head. "Oh... Could the Arashikages tell?" None of them answer, and she smiles softly. "It was wrong of me to assume you could tell. My apologies."

Wolf is quiet the rest of the trip, stamping everything she sees into her near perfect memory. There are few things she doesn't remember quite as clear as she would like, but even fewer she doesn't remember at all. The layout is a bit complex, but she's still seen bigger and more complex. She's had to memorize so many facilities. This is just another to add to the library. Eventually, Storm Shadow stands above her as the platform descending comes to a stop. "Stay with me."

"I don't see much choice," Wolf replies in a soft voice, her eye twitching slightly at the hair in her face. "I also don't see why women in our Family don't cut their hair." Storm Shadow, being the not-so-kind person he is, turns around and allows her to deal with her hair in her face as it is. Snake Eyes, however, does his best to make her a bit more comfortable as he doesn't want to see tomorrow. He brushes it from her face, and she looks at him with curiosity, a question clear in her eyes.

He turns without answering, and Wolf turns her face forward. She has been cleared of all weapons except one, and it's the one they should've taken from her. The paperclip falls from her mouth into her hand, and she shapes it as best and discreetly as she can. She nearly has the lock when Storm Shadow grabs her hand, taking it from the chains. "I thought I heard too much rattling," he says, feeling happy to have power over someone like Wolf.

Wolf drops it to the floor, shrugging. "Don't worry. I won't be here for much longer, dear friend." She follows him to a room with a key lock and four digit code. He unlocks it, and she walks in without his help. Looking around, she sees a door separating this room from another that isn't the bathroom. "I'm assuming only you can enter."

"And various other personnel on a need to know basis," he adds, and Wolf looks around. "This part is mine. That door is your own. You will stay there until we have further instructions." Storm Shadow opens the door for her, not quite trusting her to do it alone. She keeps her head down and her mouth shut. "I'm surprised you aren't yelling a storm and trying to get out. Other than your pitiful attempt."

"Why should I?" she asks. "I am surrounded by a base filled with the G.I. Joes. Not to mention three agents trained by Arashikage methods. Escape now is futile and only to end in vain. I am many tings, but a head strong girl looking to escape is not one of them." Storm Shadow smirks, and she sits on the bed, laying down. Her hands are in front of her, resting on her stomach as she stares up at the ceiling. "Am I allowed to make a request for water?"

"Of course not," he replies, setting his things down in his room. He turns off the light in hers, briefly pausing to wonder if he should make her a bit more comfortable. Wolf stares at the roof, the gears in her head turning. So he leans against the door frame. "What are you thinking about?" It is a question brought on by curiosity, not concern. Wolf doesn't know the meaning of concern, so even if it were concern, she'd think him curious.

She shrugs. "I'm not sure how long I will be here. If I should only expect a few days or weeks as being a locked up prisoner. My Family will surely not come for me as I am the family _ereba_. They will only choose another once I die... If there are anymore left to be trained when I'm gone. We are a dying species for sure." Wolf actually sounds grown for a moment, but then she giggles. "And this bed is comfortable."

"You cannot be serious. How do your thoughts bounce around like that?" It wasn't something he meant to ask, but it had come out nonetheless.

Wolf thinks for a moment, confusion clouding her steel gaze. She sits up and glances at Storm Shadow. "Don't all people think like that?" she asks, glancing at him with an expression so open and childlike he's caught off guard by it. He has seen a great many actors and actresses, but none like this. It forces him to believe her to be honest and mean it.

"No. Usually, in your spot, people would be attempting to escape. Few would be wondering how long they would be there." Storm Shadow pauses, looking at her with interest. She still looks confused, etched clearly into her expression. Wolf is genuine about everything she does, but Storm Shadow can't bring himself to trust her. "You should be thinking about escape. Not about how comfortable a bed is."

"I... I guess I should start thinking about that then," she says, and leans back in her bed. "But how can I consider escape when I don't know my way around this base? I cannot begin to formulate a plan when I have almost nothing to go on." Wolf sighs. "People are so complicated. Why can't we all just do our own dirty work? It's so much fun." Storm Shadow's gaze snaps back to her. "Don't all people think things like that are fun?" Her steel gaze is on him.

"No," he replies as the door opens behind him. "They don't think killing is so much fun. They think it cruel and barbaric and a sin."

"I find sinning to be quite fun then," says Wolf.

"You'll go to Hell."

"Pain makes you stronger. Isn't that a concept taught to everyone else?" She takes a deep breath, reciting something straight from memory. "Pain makes you stronger, and strength makes you better, and being better makes you stand taller, and standing taller gives you a view few have, and having that view can win any battle if used correctly. If I am so wrong, I guess they chose the wrong _ereba._ I do not see reason the way most people do."

"I shall leave you to your thoughts, Arctic Wolf." Storm Shadow begins closing the door until he thinks of something. "I think you're right for the _ereba_. To have so many kills already is something few have been able to do, girl." He misses it, but Wolf actually smiles of something she hasn't felt before. It is quickly wiped away as thoughts begin filling her mind.

There is only one reason for someone to be kind, and that is because he intends to use the one he is kind to as a tool of pain, pleasure, or mass destruction.


	4. Chapter 4

Arctic Wolf sits up as soon as the door opens, her legs swinging over the side of the bed, her feet swinging. It almost makes Duke stop at how innocence she looks, somehow and someway. But then he remembers her words from the day before and hardens himself. She cocks her head to the side. "I'm surprised I'm still alive. Is there something you'd like to ask me?"

Storm Shadow catches Duke's arms, whispering in the hopes Wolf won't hear. "There's something different in the way she thinks. Something... off. It's like she hasn't had any exposure to people at all." He looks at Wolf and immediately knows she can hear and that whispering is worthless. "So go a bit easy on her and try to be patient. Her training isn't anything like how they trained in the old days."

She bristles. "Are you trying to say I'm not as good as them? I'm better than them." But it isn't offense he hears in her voice. It's competitive, like in a race for first place. Duke has no doubt she'd win in that win anyway. But Wolf turns her attention to something on the wall. "I'm being watched and recorded. Why would I be recorded when I have someone here already?"

Duke sits down, ignoring her question. She keeps her eyes on the camera. "Are you trying to locate it? Because this room is too dark for you to find it-"

"I can see it now. I can hear it too." Her kicking stops, and Duke feels a bit unsettled at her response. "I don't like being watched, Duke. I have no reason to leave and escape just yet, but when I do have reason, I won't be here. Tell me what you want, but any and all questions asked won't be answered just yet. Especially not to do with my Family."

The blonde nods as Storm Shadow slips into the room and comes closer to her than Duke. Wolf glares hard at him. "We're not going to ask about the secrets of your Family, Wolf. But you should answer the other questions Duke has." Wolf continues to glare at him, her attitude unchangeable. "We're going to show you a picture. Nod if know him, shake if you don't."

Duke holds up the photo of a boy, also with steel eyes, and light hair. Wolf doesn't answer, but she does know him. She stays stony. In the picture is Wind Rider is known for disappearing in the Family, the only true competition she had for her spot as_ ereba_. It isn't surprising he is around now. He is the _choisi_ of the Family, marking him as second to her. She is aware the situation is dire enough in the Family that she may be forced to reproduce with Wind Rider as he is the only one who could possibly take her down.

"This is getting no where," Duke sighs, getting up. He comes closer to her, one hand leaning on her bed. "Do you know him?" His voice is firm now, and Wolf slowly turns her head towards him. Nothing. "Answer the question or I'll be forced to use-" He's cut off as Wolf headbutts him, breaking his nose. Duke feels stupid for trying to act like she's a child. Just because she looks it doesn't mean she is.

Storm Shadow takes the picture. "We'll be in touch." He leaves Wolf in her room, hauling Duke to his feet. Wolf says nothing, lying down and staring at the roof. Family doesn't turn on Family. It's the first code in being part of the Family, and the only way to know for a fact of their insured loyalty. They have the right to betray you if he answer questions or identify them for reasons not included in the code. So she can't turn her back on Wind Rider and identify him to these people.

"She probably does know him, but she isn't going to give anything up, Duke. The only way to get what you want is to teach her right. I told you, she thinks different from how we think." There's a rustle in the other room. "This isn't the way to get what you want from her." Wolf thinks briefly that he won't ever get what he wants from her.

"How was she taught? The way those people raised her can't be used as an excuse for anything she's done, and she needs to come clean." He sounds a bit sore. "She broke my nose, man."

"Because you tried to treat her like any other prisoner," Storm Shadow says in reply. Arctic Wolf turns over, her chains making it awkward. "To get her to give you what you want, you have to do it in a way the Family doesn't teach. They know only pain and destruction closing off anything soft. We have to open her to make her see the world she's supposed to see."

"How do you suppose we do that?" Duke asks.

"We take away the chains." Storm says it so simply, and Wolf looks in confusion. She hasn't ever heard of a group who willingly take off the chains and cuffs and any other defense meant to keep them from killing someone. She puts up her own wards and looks around for something to use. Grabbing a pen, she slides under the bed, keeping close to the floor. The pen is pitiful, but she can work it to be her advantage.

Duke doesn't say anything, but Wolf hears steps towards her door. She curls in on herself, even as the light turns on and her sight adjusts almost immediately. She closes them to keep them from hurting, and then opens them again to see Storm Shadow. She lashes out with pen, a yell making its way from her throat. He dodges it easily, holding her wrist and jerking the pen from her hand.

Wolf scrambles back, hitting the wall. Storm Shadow sighs, and says, "Duke, go get Snake Eyes. I'm not patient enough for this." He's shaking and tense, like he's trying to keep from hitting her. Wolf glares hard at him, and he sees another way she could've gotten that part of her name. She's desperate to get away, but she's a lone wolf with no pack. She has to be as strong as any pack though, and living to see another day is required. He relaxes. "C'mon, Wolf. I'm not here to hurt you," he says, holding out a hand. "I'm not here to help you either, but I won't hurt you."

She scrambles farther back, trying to meld with the wall. Storm Shadow finds it funny how many sides there are to her. She's innocent, deadly, and desperate. All three he's seen in just a day. The door opens, and Snake Eyes comes in. Storm Shadow gets up, leaving Snakes to sit with her. Wolf curls into a ball like they're going to hurt her more than they'll even think of what they're doing. He snaps his fingers, and she doesn't move.

She stays in the same position for hours, but Snake Eyes doesn't leave either. Someone else will come to sit with every now and then, but he ultimately stays with her. Wolf looks up at him, feeling stiff and tired. He waits a moment, and Wolf thinks he's asleep. She listens closely to his breathing and knows it to be true. She crawls from under the bed, looking for some type of blanket. She finds a jacket instead, and, being as quiet as she can, lays it over Snake Eyes.

Crawling into her bed and cuddling the pillow as best and awkwardly as she can, Wolf closes her eyes again. She welcomes sleep like the shore welcomes a tidal wave, unyielding then taken along with it to be deposited elsewhere.

Her dreams are usually nothing but black. Sometimes she doesn't notice when she goes to sleep because of the darkness that matches the back of her eyelids. Wolf knows she is asleep though, surely, because she's strapped down to a bed, Cutter and Headshot and Hothead all standing above her with maniacal grins. Wolf can't remember the last time she dreamed, and her only doubt of this being a dream is that it looks so real and feels so real.

Cutter smiles down at her, the sadistic grin they all have when they're going to truly enjoy something. but the hint of madness behind her eyes makes Wolf struggle to keep her mask in place. She holds a knife in her hand, her blue eyes bright and her blonde hair perfect. "Wolf, you always were a real pain. I enjoyed watching you kill though. You had such precision... Always the exact way your clients wanted it... Too bad you won't be around much longer."

Cutter takes her arm, holding it steady. She doesn't need to though, because Wolf isn't moving. She's paralyzed with some type of drug, but she can still feel everything. Cutter presses the blade into her arm, pushing it under and pulling it up with Wolf's pale skin curling. Wolf bites her lip down with each passing second until she can taste the metallic blood. When Cutter stop, she flips it over for the other side.

"Whoa, whoa, hold you. We want some fun too." Hothead takes her wrist on the other side and snaps it. Wolf gasps, but no other sound escapes her. Headshot takes out a shotgun and shoots her close range in the same arm as her snapped wrist. Wolf wants to move her head away from the scene, her bone slightly visible. It's enough to make her sick, but the screams only rip free when Cutter begins slowly disfiguring her arm once more.

Meanwhile outside of her dream torture, Snake Eyes wakes up as soon as she begins screaming. Storm Shadow, in the next room over, bursts in, going towards the bed as Snake Eyes attempts to shake her out of it. "What's wrong with her?" Storm mutters, dodging a chain thrown around from her thrashing. He grabs her shoulders, sitting her up with Snake Eyes's help. She struggles, taking in large breaths before screaming again, fighting with all the might she'd been taught. "Hey, hey!"

Wolf screams until her throat is hoarse, the three around her reveling in the sound. "Stop! Stop!" She still can't move as Cutter shaves away the skin from her legs, somehow leaving only minimal blood behind. "Stop!" Hothead continues to break her bones, taking a hammer to them now, and Headshot digs a bullet into her muscle, left bare from Cutter.

Wolf's eyes meet Hothead's, his usually sane eyes with an intelligent glint now a deep, muddy brown that looks feral to her. His brown hair is tousled, and she sees a patch of dried blood in it. Cutter stops momentarily. "Plead for you life, Arctic Wolf. We've made you scream and bleed. Show us the true pup lying underneath your lies and false encouragements."

Wolf glares hard at Cutter, but it isn't the way it usually is. This one is full of pain and holds none of the blood thirst it once did. "I'm not going to beg for my life. I never have, and I never will." Cutter smiles, a curve of the lips that seems too unnatural for her. Her knife comes down hard on Wolf's stomach, cutting a jagged line to-

Wolf jolts up with a final scream, loud, piercing, and full of pain.


	5. Chapter 5

Arctic Wolf's eyes fly open as she wakes up like a grenade explodes. She's aware of everything at once, most importantly of the two Arashikage ninjas holding onto her tight as people flood into her room. She shakes in his arms, wanting Snake Eyes to let go of her. Jaye sits next to her, and Storm Shadow stands, knowing this isn't his place. He fades into the background. "Hey, it's okay," Jaye says, rubbing Wolf's shoulder.

"I'm going to kill them," she says quietly, still breathing hard. She's tense from so many people touching her now, the effects of the dream fading. "I'm going to kill them. What you fear, you kill. I have to kill them. What you fear, you kill. I have to kill them. What you fear, you kill. I have to kill them. What you fear, you kill..." It repeats in the same cycle, and Duke asks for Jaye to go back into Storm Shadow's part of the room. He sits in front of Wolf.

She repeats it more, over and over again, as Duke watches her. Snake Eyes lets go of her, and climbs off the bed. Storm Shadow is still watching, but Wolf doesn't notice them as she should. Her steel eyes are obsessed with the floor, finding a certain spot and staying there. Duke softly puts a hand on her shoulder, and her attention snaps to him. "I'm afraid of them now. I have to kill them. I have to kill Cutter, Hothead, and Headshot before they can kill me."

"What do you mean?" Duke asks. "They can't kill you. You're here, Wolf, and no one is going to hurt you." She shakes her head, her black hair flinging around by the movements. "No one is going to hurt-"

"Maybe not here," she interrupts. She takes a deep breath. "Maybe not here, but you cannot make such promises, Duke." She waits for an answer but instead feels a weight leave her wrists. She sees the chains in his hand and stares at him wide eyed. "Why would you do that? I'm a threat, Duke, and I could-"

"But you won't," he says. "You don't see a reason to. Besides, how are you going to train if you don't have your hands?" He gets up, smiling at her. Snake Eyes follows her, and Storm Shadow waits a moment before going to follow them too. Wolf watches all of them go, confusion coloring her features with a flash of gratitude. Then she looks at her arms, remembering the dream vividly and shakes all over again.

* * *

Storm Shadow opens Wolf's door with the idea that she'll be asleep. Not that she'll be doing chin ups with her bed tipped over. He watches her for a while as she goes through what appears to be a daily exercise. She lets herself fall after hitting her designated number, crouching down to absorb what would normally be a short distance if she weren't so small, making it possible in the first place. She stands up, and Storm Shadow can see the toned muscles she's built over the years.

"If you're going to say something, then say it," Wolf says, turning around with her hands on her hips. "I like the dark." Storm Shadow raises a brow as he sees yet another side. A side to her that seems a bit mature and doesn't like being interrupted and likes being alone. She taps her foot. "Well?"

"I thought you'd want to look around," he says finally. Wolf looks around and shrugs, walking toward him. He points out her attire. "I don't think the females around here will appreciate you walking around in a bra and such short shorts." Wolf looks down, seeing nothing wrong with it. "It might distract the men." She scrunches her face at him. "You... Do you know what sex is?"

"What is th

Arctic Wolf's eyes fly open as she wakes up like a grenade explodes. She's aware of everything at once, most importantly of the two Arashikage ninjas holding onto her tight as people flood into her room. She shakes in his arms, wanting Snake Eyes to let go of her. Jaye sits next to her, and Storm Shadow stands, knowing this isn't his place. He fades into the background. "Hey, it's okay," Jaye says, rubbing Wolf's shoulder.

"I'm going to kill them," she says quietly, still breathing hard. She's tense from so many people touching her now, the effects of the dream fading. "I'm going to kill them. What you fear, you kill. I have to kill them. What you fear, you kill. I have to kill them. What you fear, you kill. I have to kill them. What you fear, you kill..." It repeats in the same cycle, and Duke asks for Jaye to go back into Storm Shadow's part of the room. He sits in front of Wolf.

She repeats it more, over and over again, as Duke watches her. Snake Eyes lets go of her, and climbs off the bed. Storm Shadow is still watching, but Wolf doesn't notice them as she should. Her steel eyes are obsessed with the floor, finding a certain spot and staying there. Duke softly puts a hand on her shoulder, and her attention snaps to him. "I'm afraid of them now. I have to kill them. I have to kill Cutter, Hothead, and Headshot before they can kill me."

"What do you mean?" Duke asks. "They can't kill you. You're here, Wolf, and no one is going to hurt you." She shakes her head, her black hair flinging around by the movements. "No one is going to hurt-"

"Maybe not here," she interrupts. She takes a deep breath. "Maybe not here, but you cannot make such promises, Duke." She waits for an answer but instead feels a weight leave her wrists. She sees the chains in his hand and stares at him wide eyed. "Why would you do that? I'm a threat, Duke, and I could-"

"But you won't," he says. "You don't see a reason to. Besides, how are you going to train if you don't have your hands?" He gets up, smiling at her. Snake Eyes follows her, and Storm Shadow waits a moment before going to follow them too. Wolf watches all of them go, confusion coloring her features with a flash of gratitude. Then she looks at her arms, remembering the dream vividly and shakes all over again.

* * *

Storm Shadow opens Wolf's door with the idea that she'll be asleep. Not that she'll be doing chin ups with her bed tipped over. He watches her for a while as she goes through what appears to be a daily exercise. She lets herself fall after hitting her designated number, crouching down to absorb what would normally be a short distance if she weren't so small, making it possible in the first place. She stands up, and Storm Shadow can see the toned muscles she's built over the years.

"If you're going to say something, then say it," Wolf says, turning around with her hands on her hips. "I like the dark." Storm Shadow raises a brow as he sees yet another side. A side to her that seems a bit mature and doesn't like being interrupted and likes being alone. She taps her foot. "Well?"

"I thought you'd want to look around," he says finally. Wolf looks around and shrugs, walking toward him. He points out her attire. "I don't think the females around here will appreciate you walking around in a bra and such short shorts." Wolf looks down, seeing nothing wrong with it. "It might distract the men." She scrunches her face at him. "You... Do you know what sex is?"

"What is that?" she asks. He chooses not to answer. "What is it?"

"Ask Lady Jaye when we find her." He leads her out of the room, putting in the password and key. "Maybe in a few weeks you can know the password to get in, but the password out won't come for a while. You're welcome to go out as long as you have an escort and don't have any weapons on you." They pass a few guys, who stop and stare at Wolf. She doesn't like their looks.

Storm Shadow hadn't thought of it until that point, but she was a bit bigger than she originally looked. He guessed she found something in the room that fit since Lady Jaye and Scarlett and a few other females took over the wardrobe part of it. She wasn't huge by any means, but it was a decent size. He stops thinking about it as they pass another pair and tugs on his jacket. "Okay, why are they looking at me like that?" she asks, crossing her arms and hiding behind him as another pair passes.

"I told you to put more clothes on. Come on." He backtracks to the room, opening it. She enters and closes the door behind them. He goes into her room and opens the drawer with shirts, picking out a purple one and throwing it at her. She pulls it over her head, tugging her hair until all of it is out, before taking the jeans he threw her and pulling them on. They fit perfectly.

He shows her around, letting her test out a few exercises and shoot a few guns at the range before it's time for lunch. Duke said she won't start training with the Joes until the next day, so she planned on watching movies all after noon with Jaye, then all night with the guys, Roadblock, Flint, Duke, and maybe Storm and Snakes. When Jaye sits down, she remembers the question that's been plaguing her all day. "Jaye, what's sex?"

She looks at Storm Shadow. "Seriously?" He nods. "Well, uhh... It's when a mommy... You know what, I'm going to tell you like it is instead of some crap about the birds and the bees." Wolf cocks her head to the side, listening as Jaye explains what it is and using anatomical terms. Wolf nods, shrugging. "But don't have sex. If a guy asks to go to your room, you say no. If he asks you to go to his room, say no. If he asks you to go to the bathroom, hit him."

"Why?"

"It's how you get pregnant." Wolf's eyes widen. She nods her head, and goes back to eating, a bit quiet now. Storm Shadow watches her reaction with a laugh, and she glares at him. Duke sits down, sensing how awkward Wolf feels now. He asks Jaye with his eyes. "She didn't know what sex was. So I told her. Took it well enough, but the part about getting pregnant from sex came by as a bit much."

"How in the hell are you okay with sex but not with getting pregnant?" Roadblock asks as he sits down next to her. Wolf shrugs noncommittally. She keeps to herself, getting smaller and smaller as everyone closes in on her. She's happy her hair is still pulled up in a ponytail despite how much of a pain in the ass it is to get her bangs in.

Wolf gets bored of the comedy and romance movies quickly. Her general comments in romance movies include, "She should just get with him already" and "Jesus, lady, quit being such a jealous whore and let the couple be together" while the general comments in comedies include, "Is she stupid or joking" and "That is entirely too embarrassing to happen in real life."


	6. Chapter 6

Wolf isn't sure how she feels about movie night with the guys after the disaster of the afternoon. It isn't that she didn't enjoy it, she did, she just... didn't want to watch another eight hours of movies that were pointless or lovey dovey. "I'm not sure about a movie night," she says to Storm and Snake when Flint, Ripcord, Roadblock, and Duke argue over what movie to start first. "I'm not into those pointless-"

"These aren't what you were watching earlier," Storm Shadow interrupts. Wolf is still a bit unsure, listening with reluctance as they throw the names of movies around at each other and claiming a difference on opinions of what she would and wouldn't like. "If you don't like the movies, I'll let you sleep. So will Duke. So sit between us and you'll be fine."

"We don't have the original A Nightmare On Elm Street, Duke. We have the remake, but not the original. So she can watch the remake and we can get together later for the original," Roadblock says to poor Duke who just wants to watch that one movie. Roadblock puts it in, and Duke did next to Roadblock as Snake Eyes and Flint go to get popcorn.

Wolf sits next to Duke and Storm Shadow perches next to her. It starts on the menu until the boys get back with the snacks. Wolf tries to stay awake, but finds it a bit difficult while they're waiting. She eventually lays her head on Duke' s shoulder. He shifts a bit too keep her comfortable when Flint sets a bowl on her lap.

Wolf takes one of the pieces from the hotel as another form of candy is thrown at her. "It's popcorn," Duke says. He takes the piece from her hand and throws it in his mouth with a bit of a grimace. "Flint put too much butter, but you might like it." Wolf takes another piece and eats it, finding it delightful. He takes the wrapped candy. "They gave you a Reeses, which is alright. I'd save it for later."

The movie starts, and Wolf can tell automatically it is different from what she watched with the girls. She looks on in fascination as it continues, but one thing is found to be true about Wolf after a few minutes into the movie. She is really jumpy. Duke chuckles, putting a hand on her shoulder when Kris dies. "Block, I don't think Wolf should do anymore horror movies. Poor girl is shaking."

Storm, who is watching the movie with only slight interest, turns to look at Wolf out the corner of his eye. She is shaking, her black hair compiled in a bun quivering, lookng as though it will fall over. He sighs, and Wolf looks over at him. She watched as he crosses his arms, and looks back to Duke. He's absorbed in the movie, and she rests some of her weight on Storm.

Wolf barely makes it through the movie, and knows she won't sleep if Freddy plans on entering her dreams. She feels better with the next movie, an action movie with a lot of fast cars and a dead actor. Wolf slightly hates the actor is dead since she would love to see more recent movies. "Block, I think she liked it. Do you wanna watch the other ones, Wolf?"

She nods, resting her chin on Storm's shoulder. He pats her head, trying not to mess up the bun she's managed. They put in the second movie, and she enjoys it a little bit more than she did the first one. The third one rolls around, and she automatically likes a character from one of his lines. "I don't care if you're in bed with Beyonce or sick as a dog. I call, you show." She laughs, now knowing what it means.

But when something bad happens, she stares slack faced. Roadblock waves a hand in front of her face, Duke, Flint, and Storm Shadow laughing at her reaction. "But... But... But..." She crosses her arms. "I actually freaking liked him, damn it!" Pouting like a child, she begins to see something about the whole idea of her watching this movie and all of those other movies. "Wait..." She stands up. "You want me to feel bad for killing the people I've killed."

Duke shares a look with Roadblock and Flint, but Wolf is already leaving. She stops when Duke says something that makes her think back on everything her teacher taught her. "At least we know you have emotions, right? Your friend Cutter told us she's never seen you show anything but curiosity, glee, mild irritance and mild amusement. Now we've seen something else."

"There's nothing more to me other than killing, Duke," Wolf says, repeating the first words her teacher ever told her and had her memorize into her heart, even allowing her to tattoo it if she wanted, which she did. Not that anyone would know since she keeps it well concealed. "What you've seen here is a dream, nothing more." She walks away, hearing Storm Shadow follow a short time later with another set of steps, Snakes.

Snake Eyes grabs her arm, but she shakes him off. "I'm going to my damned room." She keeps a cool mask, concealing this new emotion she hasn't felt since she was a girl. She knows what it is, but she can't deal with it right now. She makes a turn, both of them close behind as the only two who could really take her without some type of formulated plan. She waits next to the door for Storm Shadow to open it.

"You're angry," he says softly as Snake Eyes goes away, and Wolf just glares at him. "It's another emotion. This time it isn't a dream. You can't separate everything from yourself, no matter how you were taught. Wolf laughs at him. "This is the most mature I've seen you act. You seem almost your age."

Wolf is silent for a while, and he's about to open it when she says, "My teacher taught me that every killer has a theme. Wind Rider's theme is seduction. He's quite handsome, and I was taken with him for a while until I found my own. No one suspects a child of murder. As soon as I began acting like a child around Rider, he stopped going after me. He knew then and there that trying to use emotions wouldn't work. Once you've got a path, you're a threat. He didn't know how big a threat."

She tugs her bangs down, and Storm is surprised to see something flashing. Wolf pulls it from her hair, not even flinching as she pulls several strands with it. She shimmers, and Storm Shadow can see all of the ink she's collected over the years. He grabs her arm, seeing the words she had repeated before. "What you fear, you kill." Wolf grabs some of her bangs and clips it back, proceeding to use her bobby pins to hold her bangs, the flashing unseen. She shimmers again. "Was Wind Rider your teacher?"

Wolf smiles slightly, amusement entering her face as he opens the door. "You don't betray the Family." A look passes his face as he makes the connection. She goes into her room, fully comprehending what she's done. If, or when, she gets out of here, they'll send everything after her. She has failed to learn her teacher's teachings, and hence, she has failed her teacher.

But he will never know the depth of what she's done to give him this information. If he did, he would probably tell Duke, and telling Duke would result in the whole place going under lockdown. But during the movie she walked out on, Wolf saw herself showing emotion too. It scares her to think about it.

She stares at the ceiling, waiting for them to come for her. But they don't. Instead, she only has Storm Shadow enter her room. She feigns sleep, and he walks to her bed. "You know, you do feel things. Those tats don't make you who you are. Neither does your pretending to be a childlike in order to not feel terrible for killing. No one suspects a child of killing. But the ones who do never understand what they've done." He sighs. "I don't think you understand anything about people. They're born, then they die. You don't quite get the emotional side of it all."

"Emotions are not meant to be understood by the Family," Wolf says, surprising him. She opens her eyes. "You have a lot to learn." She looks back to the ceiling, and Storm Shadow just stays there, watching her. "Wind Rider will kill all of you. You understand that, right? Until you can learn all of the lessons I learned, even two or three, you will all die."

"Why did you tell us his name?"

"Betraying the Family means they will come to kill me," Wolf replies. "I failed my teacher, so I have to die as soon as they catch me." She closes her eyes again, heaving a breath out. "Then I can go to my true home and take my place as the one and only Arctic Wolf in history to be in the Family."

"The Family isn't where you belong. I saw someone tonight, Wolf, and she wasn't who you are. She was the girl you parade around as, the one without the tattoos or the scars." He sighs when Wolf doesn't say anything reply. "I'll see you tomorrow." He leaves, and Wolf can't help but notice he shut the door a little harder than he normally does.

* * *

Storm Shadow runs a hand through his hair. He didn't tell them about the tattoos or anything, but he did tell them about Wind Rider. He knows he probably should have told them everything, but something didn't seem right. Wolf shared something with him. Sharing is something she just doesn't do.

He sits in his bed, turning it over and over, remembering everything she had there. "What you fear, you kill." "Loving makes you weaker." "Weakness is a liability. A liability is death." "Trust is for those who are weak." "Never betray the Family." But one that stuck out most was the one that surprised him. He saw it once in a book Scarlett and Jaye were reading. "To love is to destroy. To be loved is to be destroyed."

Looking at the door that separates them, he wishes he could see into her mind. She's too different from the Joes. Too different from him. He knows watching her fall will be a true crime to the Family, but it will be a true justice to her. It will be better for her to learn emotions and personality and people. He just hopes she's open to it, more so than he when Snakes first brought him to be a Joe.

* * *

"Arctic Wolf has turned off her tracking signal completely. She isn't even online." The figure turns to another he trusts. "Wind Rider, you will find her. I don't care if it's where those Joes have her, but you will find her."

"Of course," he says, a grin decorating his features. It looks good natured, but the figure knows he is anything but good. "How will she go?"

"Slowly. Painfully. If she has emotions, kill everyone she knows." He turns again, and Wind Rider backs out of the room, knowing he's dismissed.

As soon as Wind Rider is out of sight, he grins. "This will be pleasurable."


	7. Chapter 7

Arctic Wolf sits up when Storm Shadow opens the door with Duke close behind him. She looks down, unable to fully meet their eyes, her arm itching. Storm Shadow hopefully knows her arms are the only place where there's ink, where the tattoos are. Her steel eyes eventually meet Duke's, and she knows she's in a serious situation with Duke right now, and she has a good deal of questions to avoid. "I can't betray the Family, so don't bother."

"Is there anything you can tell us about Wind Rider, Wolf?" Duke asks, and she stays completely still. "C'mon, Wolf. Don't close up now. We need to know these things or else. You know what'll happen if he gets here. You know the ultimate loss of life that can occur if you don't tell us a bit of what you know. You're a good person-"

Wolf jumps up, hitting him easily and knocking him to the floor. She gets down, holding him by his throat. "I am not a good person, damn it." She stands, lifting him with her though he stays on his knees when she's at full height, holding him just under her chin. She slams him against the wall, still choking him. "I can't tell you anything! Don't you get that, Duke?! I am officially offline now. Do you know what they'll do to me, to any of you, if I'm here when they find me?"

Storm Shadow holds his katana at her neck. "Let him down." She refuses, closing her eyes. Holding Duke where he is is hard for her, but it's not the physical pain she's used to. Something else is holding her back from killing him, something she hasn't felt before. "Arctic Wolf." The ravenette loosens her grip, letting him down just a little bit. "Wolf, let him down."

She releases him entirely, her back to Storm Shadow as she looks straight down, trying to find something of herself from just a few hours ago. Duke crawls away, but it's not in fear or disgust. It's just to get air. Wolf doesn't understand; people have always crawled away begging for their life. She turns into the sword, letting the tip bite her throat. "I'm sorry." Her voice is empty, and the idea of 'sorry' is empty too. She can see Storm Shadow tensing up. "I'm sorry you don't understand that I'm useless here."

She moves past him and into her bed, clasping her hands over her stomach and closing her eyes, ignoring the feeling of something wet sliding down her cheek as someone slides into the bed with her, a hand on top of hers. She clenches her fists tight enough to hint him to back off, but Storm Shadow doesn't. "I told you last night, Wolf, and now I'm going to very blunt. I'm not leaving until you know who you are." He clenches both of her hands together, and Wolf can feel the strength in his hand and arm.

Duke is next to her, and she can hear him finally get his breath back. Wolf feels particularly bad for doing what she did because it was Duke. She's been nothing but rude and mean and hateful to Duke since she got there, and he was still trying to understand everything about her since it was damn near impossible to know what was going through her head. "Wolf, I get it. You think you're alone, that the Family is all there ever was and ever will be, but that isn't the case. Tell us how to defend against Wind Rider."

Wolf's lips perk up in a sad, grim smile. "There isn't a way to defend against Rider. You don't defend yourself against him. You drag yourself into the next day. Rider has his name for a reason, just as we all do." She opens her eyes, but there's something more animal-like than anything either of them have ever seen in a person, in a beast, and even in their worst moments. "I was named for the hunt. I am your best bet. Changing me won't help you survive."

Duke and Storm Shadow stay where they are for a long time, but they find their way to the door hours later. "Leave her alone. I want her to have full privacy and no distractions," Duke orders. "If she really is our only chance for survival, she needs to be as psycho as she can be." His comment about her being psycho hurts, and he sighs. "I didn't mean psycho. I meant... Her, I guess. Just, leave her alone and let her get all of this shit straight in her head."

Wolf sits up, focusing on every movement around her as far as she can hear and see. Her eyes adjust immediately to the change of lighting as Storm Shadow turns off the lamp in his room and lays in his bed. No, Wolf corrects herself quickly. He's seated, legs crossed, katana lying unsheathed in his lap. Wolf takes a bobby pin from her dresser, pulling her hair down and taking the device from her bangs so her ink can show. She breathes in deeply, and prepares herself for Wind Rider to come, because she knows he will.

* * *

Rider stands above the exact spot of the Joes base. He kneels down and taps on it once, then twice. He could easily get in, he knows, but it just doesn't seem appealing to him at the moment. He doesn't want it to be easy, not too easy, and he doesn't want them to see it coming. Right now they can for sure, all because of his darling rival. He had truly been captured by her at a point, but that was before she thought him a liar and began using her own facade.

He sees someone come up from underground, and becomes very still. There isn't any cover for him to hide, but it is well past dark. He wills himself to be one with the sand around. The light flashes around him, anywhere but on him, and they eventually leave him there unknowingly. He stands again, and this time it's to leave. He strains to hear where Wolf is, but to no avail.

Rider sees movement out the corner of his eye. "It's about time you found her location, you worthless killers."

Cutter makes herself known first. "She's one of our own, even if all we ever do is fight with her. Of course we were eventually going to find her location, even if it took years. Right, Hothead?"

"Of course," Hothead replies. "I have a tendency to find anyone or anything I want. The question is, who are you? I can't find your files anywhere, and I have been looking for a long time. The only thing I have that could be connected is an article about a murderer disappearing into thin air after a public execution of a corrupt judge." His pal, Headshot, says nothing, of course. Rider knows he's there anyway.

Rider smirks, remembering his orders. "She never said I couldn't take in a few for my personal arsenal." A blunt weapon slides from his cloak into his hand.

* * *

Storm Shadow watches Arctic Wolf through a camera. She's been sitting in the same position for nearly two days, not a single other motion. Duke is nearby, and so is Snake Eyes. "How can she be so still?"

Storm exhales. "There were stories that someone in training would sit in a pile of ants and had to stay completely still, even holding their breath, for a full minute. Sometimes two if they were in need of it. They had to do this everyday for weeks at a time. It was initiation for her kind. This right here is nothing compared to any new training methods they've come up with."

Duke is surprised, not sure if he wants to know anymore about this Family of hers. "Should we feed her?"

"No," Storm answers. "She will be better without it." It's silent again, and Duke keeps shifting awkwardly, as though uncomfortable. "If you would say what's on your mind, I would greatly appreciate it."

"She's... I don't know. She's just..." He shakes his head. "She's amazingly scary. She was afraid of Freddy Krueger? She should see herself."

"Right now is different from any other time you will see her," says the ninja. "She's becoming one with her inner wolf, with the training engraved into her body and soul. Literally." In the dim light of the room, it's impossible to see her tattoos, but he has the feeling she wants it like that. She doesn't want them to see the tats just yet. "She doesn't need anything, not even a purpose."

Duke shakes his head. "How can they do that to a little girl?" No one answers, because no body wants to. But her voice comes in loud and clear.

"They can do it because a weapon isn't meant to be looked at as a human being with a mind, with a body, with a soul. So they destroy you. The mind slips away from the edge, forming a bridge over insanity's waiting embrace. The body is destroyed with scars and other forms of imperfection. The soul is taken apart bit by bit by emotional manipulation." She turns to look into the camera, the night vision making her steel eyes look like a ray of light. "So don't forget it."

* * *

Arctic Wolf focuses on her breathing after speaking to the camera. She can't hear them, but the vibrations are felt and she can untangle them to form words to form sentences. She goes back to her memories, her teacher speaking in her ear to listen hard, pushing her as hard as she can until Wolf nearly breaks. "You said you want to hunt down any who threaten you, Child. Now you must become the predator so you won't ever be the prey."

Then she can feel the blade cutting into her. A sharp pain, something she always anticipates but never fails to flinch away from. But she must listen and never focus on the pain for a moment or it would only get worse. The ravenette takes a deep breath before coming back into the real world, away from the knife and into her own world. A world where her teacher is dead and can no longer use the sharp blade she helped her with.

Another sound, this one of someone knocking on metal. Wolf tenses up, trying to focus more on it as the pain comes back. Wolf focuses less on it until it becomes dull and just there, like an old toy in your bedroom that's always been there. It's there, you just barely notice it because of how familiar it is. She waits for another, but nothing comes. She breathes in deep, finding it in herself to dismiss the sounds as nothing at all.

Wolf hears someone approach the door, but the light footsteps dismiss almost all of the Joes. She opens the door, and walks inside. Wolf grabs a pen from her bedside and manages her way to the door, just waiting for her. As it opens, Wolf finds herself behind it. "Wolf? C'mon, we're here to get you out." She clicks the pen, holding it high to jam it into the person's eye.

She sees no one, but another message plays. "Wolf, hurry up." She looks down, grabbing the recorder. Wolf curses, going to the door and banging on it hard for someone nearby to listen.

"Someone was in here."


	8. Chapter 8

Arctic Wolf slams against the wall, blood over her teeth and mouth, some of it hers, some of it not. She falls to the floor, breathing hard as the figure stands before her, tall and ready for the kill. She gets to all fours, baring her teeth as she grabs a near by pipe, bringing it up with a war cry. He dodges the pipe, and she advances, her movements sloppy and her thoughts focused on one thing for the time being until she can regroup.

Survival.

* * *

She sits alone, still staying focused even if it's been three days. Duke hates seeing her like this. He's happy he isn't Storm Shadow, who has been moved there to prevent further contact and provide protection. He has to sit just next door while she's alone, probably starving and near crazy from lack of interaction. Her dark hair is tangled from her work outs, the only time he's seen her move in the last twenty four hours after the recordings were left for her to find. She refused to answer questions about the recorded messages, so they have almost nothing to go on as to who they're battling.

Snake Eyes opens the door, ready to take next shift of watch with Lady Jaye. Duke kicks Roadblock, who's dozing off again. Block wakes up, standing and stretching a bit. Jaye takes his seat, already keeping a close eye on her side of the cameras. Duke takes the last twenty four hours to review. "I'll make sure we didn't miss anything... Nevermind, Mouse will."

Jaye stands up, looking intently at one of the cameras, one near enough to be a threat. Duke and Roadblock go out in the hall. Jaye follows them, and when they don't make it between one camera and the next, she points it out to Snake Eyes. "Duke and Block were right here, now they aren't. Where could they have possibly gone?" Snake Eyes points out a few cameras to which direction they might have gone. "Okay, I checked those too, but they weren't the way those guys were going. Is there anywhere for them to hide there?"

Jaye leaves to go look at the corner of the cameras, making sure she can stay in contact with Snakes. He looks closely at the cameras, examining every detail before his eyes widen in his helmet. He runs out of the room, looking for Jaye. He goes to the corner where a room locked from the outside and made of serious steel resides. It's a place for prisoners who have to have a close eye kept. He opens the door, finding more than three people knocked out.

He's pushed inside and the door closes behind him, clicking with a note of finality.

* * *

"Good, Headshot," Wind Rider coos as Headshot kills another Joe from his sniping point, though Rider is near a mile away from him. "Keep going." Rider feels he should have terrible feelings for making the poor man's mind crack. He was much easier than Hothead and Cutter, both of which have just a snip of humanity left in them. One that will be cut very soon after he returns to them. But Rider only feels indifference and glee about it. Indifference that he doesn't feel bad, and glee that he has his own little drone. "Keep killing. The hunt has begun."

* * *

Wolf opens her eyes as she hears a shot. Then another. Then another. She counts to five before she gets up, banging on the door hard enough that her knuckles scrape. Storm Shadow opens it, and she walks past him. "He's back again." She sees a selection on Storm Shadow's bed and welcomes herself to it, grabbing only two things. A blunt weapon and a katana. The katana feels balanced in her hand, and she sheathes it again, holding it in one hand. "Thank you."

"Where are you going?"

"To find him. He wants to play hide and seek, fine." She sees a blood streak on the floor, and goes that way. "Rider isn't afraid of me, but he thinks I am afraid of him. He's almost right." She slips the strap of the katana over her head, holding the blunt weapon at the ready. Wolf can hear Storm Shadow behind her, following her closely. She stops as the blood trail comes to an end.

"Is that good?" he asks behind her.

"Not at all. It means we went the wrong way and someone else is bleeding out," Wolf replies, turning back around. "You'll know when this is over, I assure you." She looks down another hall, steel eyes narrowing as she catches another blood trail farther away. "Here."

* * *

Rider drops the body as he takes all of the blood from it. He takes another jug, opening the cap just a little bit so it'll trickle as he climbs back into the vents, going into another room where he last left off. He leaves a trail of blood down the hall again, knowing exactly where Wolf is at in the moment. He has plenty of time before she can find him. He goes down another hall, knowing full well what she'll find in the room at the end, leaving splatters all over it with a smirk before walking back, making sure to not step in the blood.

He moves down another hall easily, the blood dripping behind him to the door where the Joes were kept. He's already had Headshot move Duke, Lady Jaye, Snake Eyes, and Flint, but left Roadblock and Scarlett in there alive. Well, Roadblock is very much alive, he reminds himself. Arctic Wolf won't make it the girl in time. A smile slips over his lips, and he retracts his steps to another hallway.

Rider dumps the rest of the blood on the door of another hallway. He goes inside, the hall already covered and littered with blood. His own little palace in a land of trails of red. He lightly touches his fingers to the wall, looking ahead of him at where Ripcord is standing, balancing on a milk crate with a noose around his neck. "You're still alive? I'm amazed." He takes them back, licking at the blood though it stains his finger red. "Don't worry. I made a promise, and a promise I'll keep."

* * *

Wolf trails down the hallway, Storm Shadow still a bit behind her. They've been walking for around an hour, following every trail Rider has left for them. Storm is getting frustrated with her because they'll find another trail only to continue with the other one they're already on. "For a wolf, you're not getting anywhere."

Arctic Wolf grabs his arm as he slips, holding him up. "For a shadow, you're not very quiet," she says, her voice barely heard by the other. "And we are getting somewhere. You didn't grow up with him, did you? Didn't think so." She comes upon a door painted in crimson, and walks forward. "Go back and follow another trail. I'll catch up soon enough."

"Why?"

"Believe me. What's on the other side of this door is for me to see." He doesn't move, and Wolf opens the door anyway. She won't tell him twice. She finds she's right, and she's surrounded by people all around twelve and thirteen, some are fourteen. Next to them is an adult lying dead. All of them have mixed reactions, and Wolf knows what happened to the crazier ones, the ones bridging insanity. "He is truly a twisted man."

"Who are these people?" Storm Shadow asks. He doesn't like seeing all these children like they are in the photographs, all of them with horror and grief in their expression. He doesn't show it though.

"Classmates, I suppose. Brother and sisters in arms," Wolf replies. "We were all born around the same time, all injected with the serum at birth. Some of these people I knew, some of them I only saw in passing. Some of them, I had to kill to become who I am... Others were too pitiful and became civilians who give up their children to the Family for training if they're seen to be fit enough for the program." Her hand goes to one of a girl smiling, her head cocked to the side. "This one is me."

Storm Shadow looks at the picture, comparing the two. "You certainly have changed."

"Thank you." She turns, prepared to leave the room when she sees another picture. She's smiling and a woman is crouching down, kissing her cheek. "He's one bastard." She takes the katana from its sheath and cuts the picture, drawing a huge X over the younger version's face. Then her anger gets the better of her, seeing all of these things. She turns around and destroys the rest of them, leaving almost nothing behind.

Storm Shadow is silent through the whole ordeal. He watches her, taking in her every movement and breath. She's angry, he takes that in and digests it. Something she rarely ever is. It sinks in just how dark her past might be, just what she might have been forced to do and how easily it is for this Wind Rider son of a bitch to use all of it against her. He grabs her arm when she intends to strike again, and she whirls fast enough to break his grip.

Wolf takes a moment to gather where she is. She takes a collective breath, inhaling and exhaling with her eyes closed before standing up straight and sheathing the blade. Leading the way, Storm Shadow exits the room, keeping his eyes off the picture on the door with the little girl and the woman. Wolf doesn't realize how much she appreciates it until she's out of the room, closing the door behind the both of them and taking the lead again. If she were to have a pack of Joes, Storm would be on it for sure.

She follows the trail again, and Storm Shadow gets a bad feeling. "We're near the security room," he says in a low voice. Wolf speeds up, following the path a bit more intently and a bit more excited. She'd love to see what he has planned for her at the moment. Wolf almost hopes for a second the path does lead to the security room, but it leads to somewhere a bit more interesting.

She pulls out the blunt weapon, holding it at the ready as Storm Shadow prepares to open the door. He nods once and opens it, flinging it wide. Wolf watches as Snake Eyes comes out of the room with a bloody Scarlett in his arms. Wolf keeps her eyes on the redhead, her own eyes still open. "It is never worthy a death without saving lives, Scarlett. But you have died in a way I respect." Wolf closes the woman's eyes. "I'm sorry. We will have to leave her behind somewhere. She'll be nuisance, and I'd rather give her family something to bury."

Storm Shadow takes the woman in his arms, carrying her to the room with cameras. Wolf can see now there's only one path. She looks at Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow. "I only require one of you, and even then it's to save whoever is hostage. Wind Rider and I are best to left alone when dealing with one another." Snake Eyes looks at his sword brother and nods. Wolf begins walking away, the white ninja following as the black ninja tends to Scarlett.

The path is easy from there, and Arctic Wolf is feeling the thrill that comes with being in the hunt, especially for your enemy.


	9. Chapter 9

AN: You might want to go back a couple chaapters, six or seven, and reread until here. I didn't post them up before, no idea how they didn't get up, but I'll roll with it. so, if you wouldn't mind, thanks.

Wolf gets to a set of doors, easily seeing the red painted walls. She knows well enough it isn't paint, and opens the door carefully. The first thing she sees is a figure on a rope. "Storm, get him down." She takes cover behind the wall, looking into the room with the door open as Storm Shadow takes Ripcord down from the ceiling. "Once you get him, leave." Both turn a look on her.

"We can fi-" Rip's cute off by a gurgle, his body jerking with a loud gunshot. Storm takes Ripcord into the room, hoping for some form of supplies while he's in there. Wolf takes her blunt weapon, twirling it around as Rider smiles his charming smile, taking his sweet time and reveling in his work. She must admit there is beauty in it, but not enough for her to admire him for it.

"You sure do take long enough." Wolf closes her eyes. Rider has always been able to evade her, and for once she isn't surprised to hear him above her. Wolf knows it's best to stay still, not give away she knows where he is, even if he knows she knows. "I almost thought I'd be here all night. Alas, I guess not everyone can be as quick as me." She can feel his breath on the back of her neck as the lights go out.

"I need a light," Storm Shadow calls.

"I told you to leave." Wolf swings the weapon at where she assumes his head to be as the emergency lights go on, lighting the hallway in red. Now she can admire Rider for his work for once. A sharp pain on her cheek sends her back into a wall, the force behind it incredible. Wolf spits out a metallic taste, bringing her hand up to her cheek to find a gash slowly bleeding.

Wolf spins, keeping the wall at her back in a way Rider can't use to his advantage without her knowing and being able to avoid it. There's a long silence where it's just her and the sound of Storm Shadow trying to keep Ripcord alive, even if just barely, until they can get further help. "It's funny how shooting a someone in the gut can kill. It's funny how shooting can kill at all. A small projectile flying at high speed through the air so it's almost invisible to the naked eye. Funny." She sees him then, and wishes she had a gun. "Now, because I believe in fairness in battle, I'll make sure you don't have any... distractions."

Wolf takes a moment to register what he said before running to Storm Shadow and Ripcord, standing in a defensive position. Storm takes the gun from Rip, putting it in Wolf's waist band. "I can't keep him alive much longer. Make him pay for Scarlett and for Ripcord." Wolf doesn't need to be told again. He has to pay for many things, but to atone for their deaths is surprisingly high on her priority list.

"I see. You want a distraction. Fine," he says, and something brushes her cheek on purpose. "I can play all day. I have orders to make it long and painful." She moves away from Storm Shadow and Ripcord, dodging another bullet. Wolf waits a moment, and just barely moves out of the way of another shot, finding the source. She retaliates, getting on one knee to fire back.

Wolf hear a click, but it isn't hers. Rider moves again, lost in the sea of red. She follows his footsteps until they stop abruptly, and then she listens carefully, trying to sniff him out. A soft whish of a knife forces her to turn around, striking with the blunt weapon. Rider makes a noise of pain, falling down to the floor. Wolf stands above him, pointing her gun down at his shoulder where she hit him with the other weapon a moment ago.

Rider pulls her foot from under her, and Wolf lands in the splits beside him, gun shooting. He gets the upper hand, kicking her down before slamming his foot down on her leg, nearly breaking the bone. Wolf gets up, barely able to stand from the flaring pain. She uses the wall for support, using her katana as a last stand. Her hand gropes for support until she can make sure her leg is functioning correctly.

Wolf loses sight of Rider and goes to Storm Shadow and Ripcord, who is only barely hanging on. "Hurry up and leave. I don't think he wants to play games anymore," Wolf says, hiding her limp as best as she can until she can fully ignore the pain. She helps Storm Shadow up, then Ripcord. She leads them to the door then lets go.

Wolf turns to come face to face with Rider. He wraps an arm around her waist, drawing her close enough so she can feel the outline of a blade in his waistband. "You never were one to be too cruel. I saw you at your cruelest, and it was incredibly boring." Their steel eyes stay together. Rider flicks his light hair from his face, and Wolf wishes for a plan of any sort. "Too bad. I could have made so much more of you."

Without saying anything, the ravenette bites into his shoulder, somehow ripping through the fabric and protection there. She comes back with blood staining her mouth, a small step of fresh hanging from her teeth. She spits out it. "How's that fire cruel, Rider?" His face takes an expression of rage and as he throws her to the side like a doll.

Arctic Wolf slams against the wall, blood over her teeth and mouth, some of it hers, some of it not. She falls to the floor, breathing hard as the figure stands before her, tall and ready for the kill. She gets to all fours, baring her teeth as she grabs a near by pipe, bringing it up with a war cry. He dodges the pipe, and she advances, her movements sloppy and her thoughts focused on one thing for the time being until she can regroup.

Survival.

The word repeats in her mind until it becomes an order from a client. She takes the katana and pipe, alternating between the two in attack. Wind Rider has to keep fighting until he draws his blade, and Wolf takes her pipe to hit him hard over the head, greatly understanding his strength. He holds her katana back and has a hand taking the pipe from coming any closer.

Wolf pushes Rider back a few inches to begin her attack again, but she's unsure now. Rider hooks his foot around her leg, dressing it fun underneath again. This time, Wolf lets out a howl as it breaks, going at him with the katana and managing to cut him. Rider find though, knowing he has her beat in this. He kicks the katana away, raising the knife high above his head.

The ravenette kicks and thrashes underneath him, but to no avail. She reaches for the nearest weapon, a pathetic excuse for sharp glass. He flips the knife over in his hand. The knife comes down and Wolf's eyes fly closed at the pain. This is divergent from before when it was training. Rider smirks down at her. "I was good enough, don't you think? I should be future head anyway, you bitch. You always wanted what want yours, didn't you?" He grabbed Wolf by her hair, but she can barely feel it. His words are muted and his face sends in her vision as if by magic. "But a blade in the heart was always yours." Rider leans down with just a brush of the lips. "How good we might have it had it..."

He drops Wolf, taking the knife with him.

* * *

Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes have already sent a distress call to anyone who might be listening, and all that's left now is to help Arctic Wolf fight Wind Rider. Snake checked Ripcord, saying he would be okay as long as someone monitored him and kept up with his state of being. "I'll go help her. You're better at this than I am, anyway."

Snake Eyes gets up to go through the cameras to make sure Wolf isn't on her way back already. Storm is already out of the door, leaving Snake to hope she's fine for his sake. Seeing a girl like that go down... It'd be hard to see for even Snake Eyes, and she rarely spoke of or to him. His opinion of her is little to nothing, just from the movie night and what the girls have said. Of course, there's also the part where he would watch the cameras for everyone to rest...

He pushes the thoughts away, continuing through the footage while keeping an eye on Ripcord. He's a bit away from Scarlett, and she's covered with a sheet. Hopefully he doesn't plan on waking up anytime soon. Snake eventually finds the camera, expecting some type of dramatic scene where Arctic Wolf is alive and fighting Wind Rider with some type of startling revelation. He does not, however, expect for her to be bleeding out on the floor.

He finds Storm Shadow a moment later, just a few meters away and walking rather briskly. Snake has found Storm doesn't always like to run, and walking is just easier on everyone. But he does have both katanas at the ready when he goes inside the room, searching for the short ravenette lying a few feet in front of him.

Snake checks the entrance, a blossoming hope inside as he sees the reinforcements.

* * *

Time passes. Whether they're hours or minutes, Wolf doesn't know. She's too numb to know the extent of the wound, almost like she's stuck in glue and only way to move is by your head and fingers. But she doesn't want to move only that. Wolf knows it's a terrible idea, but going to sleep sounds so amazing and sweet right now. Her eyes flutter as she fights to stay awake at least a little bit longer.

The door opens behind her, and a man appears to be looking anywhere but the ground where she is. Wolf tries to reach out to him. "S..." Wolf coughs on something thick in throat. He looks down then, as if he's been dreading this moment when the body he saw would ultimately be her. He comes next to her, and helps her sit up. Wolf rolls over a bit and coughs out the blood clogging and choking her.

"Let's get you to Snake." Storm starts to help her up, but she brushes her hand on his arm.

"This... end... for me." Wolf smiles up at Storm, something so genuine and not terrifying and not giving Storm the goosebumps and making him a bit uncomfortable. It's real and pretty and makes all of this seem a bit better in some odd, twisted away. But, Storm finds, just because she's ready to give up doesn't mean he is. Storm picks her up in his arms, carrying her out of there.

Wolf feels sluggish, her eyes trying so hard to close. She just doesn't want to die in Storm's or anyone's arms. She doesn't want to die at all. Wolf can feel a fit threatening inside her, but she'll never have the energy to do it. She's facing death in the face right now, spitting at him just so she doesn't die in anyone's arms or anyone's care. It would tear him up inside, she thinks. People are always so fragile.


End file.
